Let me tell you about my first time: I have just started as an intern, but sadly have not yet obtained my driver’s licence and hence the need for public transport.

I needed to do an interview quite far from the office, in an unfamiliar area. After hours of pouring over maps, I finally ventured out to the nearest taxi rank.

Getting to a taxi rank is the easy part, finding the right taxi is another story altogether!

This process took a little longer than usual (I’ve been told), because I got mauled by a taxi driver who I am sure must have seen me as “fresh meat”. Luckily, I was accompanied by a fellow intern who pried me out of the driver’s firm grip and got me into a nearby taxi.

So there we sat, squashed into the backseats of a minibus with someone’s hair tickling my ear, reminding the driver on a very regular basis about where he should drop us off.

Like the weather that day, lady luck was NOT shining on me. The taxi driver missed our stop.

After much shouting, we peeled ourselves out onto the side of the road, and with all the enthusiasm we could muster, started to walk...and walk...and walk.

Eventually I arrived at my interview, which went suprisingly well, but now we needed to get back to the office.

As we we’re leaving, it started to rain big grape-size drops falling down as if the whole world depended on it. Add to this the fact that I wear glasses and rain turns me blind because of it, you’ll understand my frustration.

So with no rain jackets or umbrellas, we had to continue doing the walking thing again, until I saw it, like a beautiful mirage, the now utterly desirable white minibus.

We piled back into our “luxury” coach with its broken seats, glasses steaming up, pressing closer up against each other every time yet another passenger boarded as we made our way back.

Carrying on with the tradition of the day, instead of driving just a few blocks further up, we had to get out at the bus terminus and do some more dancing in the rain.

Almost three hours later I arrived at the office, looking somewhat like a drowned rat with my hair plastered to my face and my jeans soaked all the way up to my knees, swimming in my shoes.

My first time might not have been very romantic, but it sure does make for interesting memories. A public transport virgin am I no longer, but come October, driver’s licence in hand, I will be doing it in a car for sure!